Material handling apparatus



June 30, 1942 J. D; RUSSELL ET AL 2,288,109

MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March. 2O

INVENTOR Passe# ATTORNEY June 30, 1942.

J. D. RUSSELL ET AL MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS 4 sheets-sheet 2 Filed March 2o, I1940 In um In.

June 30, 1942. J. D. RUSSELL ET AL A MATERIAL HANDLINGv APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 20, 1940 d 5. mw VQ N I .D

enr 7/7/325 A TTORNEYI.

`lune 30, 1942. J. D. RUSSELL ETAL MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS 4 sheets-sheewl Filed March 20, 1940Ky Patented June 30, 1942 Unirse srarss rar-@ENT orties John D. Russell, `Sugarcreek Township, Venango County, and Henry Thies, Franklin, Pa., assign-n kors to .loy Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Applicationivrarch 2o, 1940, :serial `ivopzazsglmz (o1. `:aso- 99) 6 Claims.

This invention relates to `Vmaterial handling apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for handling loose `coal in underground mine Achambers in the thinner seams of coal.

Mining of coal in the United States is gen- -erally'carried on'under Vwhat is commonly known veachother by blocks V'of standing coal called pillars. The largest quantity of coal is,of course, produced from the rooms, and it `must 'be conveyed from the room through the ,panel entries Vto the main entry, vand thence vthrough such main entry to the surface.

In the thinner coal seams now rbeing worked, and `having a height of 36" Yor less, 'belt conveyors are generally installed in'the main and panel entries to 'convey the coal `from the rooms to the surface, vand either a sectional chain conveyor is extended into each room, 'or a scraper loader is employed ineachroom to move the coal from'the working `face vin the room `onto the conveyor in the panel entry. VThe conveyorin Vthe panel entry, of course; discharges onto the conveyors in the main entry.

Neither the sectional chain lconveyor, nor `the scraper loader Ahave proved entirely satisfactory in Working seams of coal of 36 or less. In such thin seam coal mines, the miners are forced, on account of the low roof, to work in a cramped position, vbeing unable to straighten up, and to crawl on their hands and knees when traveling from place to place in the mine.` Under such conditions it is apparent that it is extremely difficult, aswell as expensive, to set up a sectional chain conveyor in'each room as such room .is being driven, and to tear down the conveyor and remove the sections after the room has been driven to its full depth, generally 300', since each section must be dragged manually' into and out of the room, as well as set up or torn down by the miner Awhile working in such stooped and cramped positions, While requiring considerably less amount of hard labor in its installation, the scraper loader, which consists of a scraper and a double acting drum hoist to pull Ythe scraper .into and out of the room being worked, is quite expensive to operate since the scraper .must bedr'agged, whenloa-ded, over the oor of the room or mine chamber, with the resultant 'high power requirements.

Further, with 'the scraper loader lit is impossible to get the scraper into the corners of the room,thus making itquite difficult to `clean out the 'loose `coal' in' `a room after lthe coal 'has' been shot down.

YThe principal object of the present invention is to provide apparatus'ior handling coal in the rooms of an'underground lmine chamber having a lheight -of 36" and lles's, which will overcome all the foregoingobjectionsto the sectional con- "veyor' and the Scraper loader, nand' which is easily and quickly installed, simple -and economical -to operate, and which can be -moved -from one room to another Vwith comparative ease.

VAnother-object of this invention is to provide `a self-unloading mine car adapted to be hauled into `and Youtof a -room -or mine chamber lby a `haulage-rope'connected -to each -end of the car, and-having meansfor steering theY leading Vwheels of the car when -moving'in either direction, and for locking thetrailin-g wheels so that the car will followthepath of the rope and be easily guided into and out of the room.

-A vfurther Objectis-to provide a -car for use in llow o-r thin seamcoahmines vwhich is capable of being readily moved -back and forth -in the mine lchamber -from the "coal Vgathering position vat the 1working face, toan unloading or discharge stationin vthe panel -entry at the'mouth oi the room; is capable of Vbeing'steered or 'guided as it moves -in either Adirection, and is 'provided with a-conveyor :bottom so that it maybe readily Aunloaded at the discharge station.

A still `'further Vobject 'of "this invention Ais to provide a -car for use in thin `seam coal beds oi 36" height or less, whichis moved into vand out o-i `the vroom by afhaulage rope Vand ywit-h which means are associated for elevating the Acarat the dischargestation, vwhich'are operated v by't'he car as it approaches the discharge station.

There, and other objects will Ibe lhereinafter made-apparent to those skilled in this Aparticular art, are accomplished by means of this invention, one embodiment-of which -is described in the followingspecication and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 vis atop planview of a material handling apparatus or -mine car madel in accordance with our invention;

Fig. 2 is a -view in side elevation of the mine car shown 'in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged end View of the car, having a part thereof in section to show the drive for the conveyors passing over the bottom of the car;

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the mine car with the superstructure removed to illustrate the undercarriage of the car;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional View taken on the line V-V of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line VI-VI of Fig. 1 and Fig 4 Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line VII-VII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line VIII- VIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is a view in elevation of an apparatus used in conjunction with our improved mine car for elevating same at the unloading or discharge station;

Fig. 10 is a plan View of the elevating apparatus shown in 9;

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken on line XII-XI of Fig. 10; and

Fig. 12 is a sectional view of a room or mine chamber in a thin seam of coal equipped with a car made in accordance with our invention, and in which a conveyor is provided in the panel entry onto which the car is adapted to discharge its load.

Referring now to the drawings, and especially to Fig. 12 thereof, I0 represents a room or mine chamber being driven in a low seam of coal at substantially right angles from a panel or haulage entry II, having a portion of the bottom or floor thereof removed as at I2, so that an end-2 less belt conveyor I3 may be mounted therein with the upper surface of the belt substantially ush with the bottom or floor of the room I 0. Coal is produced in the room at what is generally called the working face indicated at I4,

which is, preparatory to blasting, undercut as at I5, to provide room for the expansion of the coal as it is shot from solid seam. The loose coal at the face is loaded, either by manual labor or by a mechanical loader such as disclosed in Joy` Patent No. 1,306,064, into a car I6, which is made in accordance with our invention and is adapted to travel over the iioor of the room I0, for transportation from the work' g face to the haulage entry. The car I6 is moved back and forth between the haulage entry I I and the working face I4 by a double drum hoist I1 of the type commonly used in connection with scraper loaders which is mounted in the haulage entry II opposite the mouth of the room IIJ, and is provided with cables I8-I9 which pass between the active and return reaches of the conveyor I3 so as not to interfere with the operation of the belt, and are attached to opposite ends of the car I6. The cable I9 is attached to the inner end of the car or to the end nearest to the working face, and passes around a turn pulley mounted on a plate 2| which is secured by pin 22 t0 the floor of the mine chamber adjacent the working face I2, and is used to pull the car into the room I 0, while the cable I8 is used to withdraw the car. Since the car is empty when moving it into the room, it is apparent that there will be very little pull `on the turn pulley 20 during the travel of the car into the room. When the hoist I l is operated to exert a pull on the cable I8, the loaded car I6 is hauled out of the room to the haulage entry, where its load is discharged into the endless belt conveyor I3 located therein. While we have shown the car as unloading onto a conveyor, it is apparent that the car may be readily unloaded into a trip of standard mine cars, if desired, without departing from our invention.

Car I6 is preferably of built-up construction, i e. composed of a series of plates and shapes Welded together into an integral whole. The body of the car I6 comprises a pair of wide walls 25, each of which is secured to a side sill 26 extending longitudinally of the car, and having a pair of vertical spaced and longitudinally extending Iioor plates 21-28 attached to their inner surfaces in any suitable manner, such as welding. The opposite sides of each set of floor plates 21-28 are secured or Welded to one les of a pair of transversely spaced intermediate sills 29-30 of substantially inverted V-shape in cross section, which have vertically spaced iioor plates 3I-32 secured between their adjacent surfaces. At one end of the car I6, the side plates 25 are connected together by a transversely extending plate 33 forming an end wall for the car, and at the same end each of the bottom fioor plates 28-28--32 is extended and shaped as at 34 so that it abuts against the outer surface of the end wall 33 to which it is secured. The floor plates 21-21-3I and 28-28-32 form decks for the active and return reaches respectively of a series of endless chain and flight conveyors 36 passing over the bottom of the car, there being three such conveyors, one between the intermediate sills 30, and one between each side sill and each intermediate sill. At the rear end of the car the chains of the conveyors 36 pass around sprockets carried by a transverse idler shaft; 38 which is mounted for limited movement longitudinally of said car in the sills 26-26-30, and at the front end of the car the chains pass around sprockets 39 on a driven shaft 40 which is journaled in the side and intermediate sills of the cars. Associated with the shaft 38 on each side of the car is a take up device 38A of suitable construction for maintaining the chain conveyors 36 under the desired amount of tension at all times. The shaft 40 is driven by a motor 4I mounted on the bottom of the car and protected by a housing 42 which forms a continuatiom of one of the sill members 30. The motor 4I is provided with a sprocket 43 mounted on the drive shaft thereof which is connected by a chain 44 with a sprocket 45 on the shaft 40. The car is provided with a suitable electrical outlet (not shown) for connecting the motor to a suitable source of power when the car is in either a position to be loaded or unloaded.

The car is supported upon and travels on four relatively wide wheels 5U, each of which is journaled on an axle pin 5I having its ends secured in the depending legs 52 of a substantially U-shaped cradle 53. The base of each cradle 53 is provided with a vertical pin 54 which is journaled in a housing 55 carried by and secured to the inverted V-shaped sill member 36.

In order to steer and guide the car each of the wheel cradles 53 has an arcuate shaped tongue 56 projecting from the base thereof and terminating in a portion 51 which lies underneath the floor of the car. The tongues '56 of the U-shaped wheel supporting cradles 53 for the wheels at one end of the car extend in opposite directions from the tongues on the cradles for the wheels at the opposite end of the car, and the tongues for the cradles at each end of the car are linked together by a cross bar 58. Each cross bar 58 has an upstanding pin 59 centrally thereof which projects into a slot 60 in a swinging draw bar section or steering arm'GI. The draw bar sections El are pivoted to the opposite ends of a draw bar 82 mounted for limited longitudinal movement in slots 63 provided in transversely extending stiffening members $4, which tie the side sills 26 and the intermediate sills 38 together. The draw bar sections 'or steering arms 6I-I5I extend through relatively wide slots 65 in the cross stiiening members [i6- 66, and the haulage cables I8-I9 are attached to theouter ends of these sections. To limit the longitudinal movement of the draw bar, the main draw bar section 62 is provided with two sets of shoulders SS-BS located on each side of each of the cross members 64. The shoulders 68-69 are so -arranged that when the draw bar 62 is moved in one direction, one set of shoulders 68-69 engage the cross members 611, and when moved in the other direction the other set of shoulders 68-68 come in contact with and engage the opposite sides of the members 84. Movement of the draw bar S2 is further limited by stops I8, which are secured to the bottom floor plate 32 on each side of the draw bar, between the cross members (id-E8, and engage and contact the shoulders 69 when the shoulders 68 are in engagement with the cross members 64. When the shoulders 68 on either end of the draw bar 62 engage its respective stops 10, the pivot between the draw bar 62 and the section 6I on that end of the bar is beyond the stops I8, and consequently that section 6I of the draw bar 82 is free to swing laterally through a distance defined by the width of the slot 65 in the cross members 66. When one shoulder 69 contacts the stops 18, the other shoulder 69 on the other end of the draw bar 62 contacts the cross member 84, and the pivot between that end of the bar and the section 6I is between the stop 'I0 and the cross bar 64, and as a result the stops 'I8 hold the bar section 6I against lateral movement. From this arrangement it is apparent that when it is desired to move the car in either direction, for example to move the car into the room into position to be loaded, a pulling force is exerted on the cable I8. As the force is applied the draw bar 62 will slide along the bottom of the car, and until the shoulders 69 on the end of the bar 62, to which the bar section 6I having the cable I8 secured thereto is pivoted, engage the stops 10. Simultaneously the shoulders 68 on the bar 62 will engage one cross member 64 and the other shoulder 69 will engage the other cross bar 64. In this position the draw bar section 6I, to which the cable I8 is attached, will be free to swing laterally while the draw bar section 6I, to which the cable I8 is attached, will be pulled to such position that lateral swinging movement thereof is resisted by the stops 1I). Thus, as a result of this construction, the leading wheels will be free to turn and follow the path of the towing cable, while the trailing wheels will be locked against turning, and consequently the car I6 will follow the path of travel of the haulage rope or cable I8. Further, this steering or guiding feature of our improved car will permit the car to be readily moved about in the mine and will materially facilitate moving the car from room to room.

In Figs. 9, l and 1l we have illustrated mechanism for elevating the car I6 to unload the same into a conveyor or trip of cars located or traveling on a door level with the floor of the room in which the car` travels. The apparatus for elevatmg the car to an unloading position consists of a platform 88, having a steel shaft BI at each corner thereof. Mounted on the ends of the shafts 8I are rollers 82 which travel in. slots 83 formed in side brackets 84 of a frame S5 resting on the floor of the mine chamber, there being four such brackets, one at each corner of the platform 88. The slots 83 n the brackets 84 are substantially the same as a reverse curve in shape, so that as the rollers 82 pass therealong the platform 88 will be elevated and moved forwardly. In operation, the frame 85 is placed on the floor of the mine adjacent the conveyor or other means into which the car is to discharge its contents, with the platform' in its lowermost position in the path of travel of the car. As the car is pulled into the entry it runs up on the platform 88 until the leading Wheels drop between blocks 8%-81 secured to the platform, which limits further movement of the car relative to the platform. An application of further pulling force to the tow cable, the rollers 82 are caused to move along the slots 83, which due to their shape, elevate and move the platform forward and advance the end of the car into position over the top of the conveyor. With this construction it is apaprent that a portion of the roof of the mine must be taken down in order to get clearance for the car above the mine floor as the same is being elevated and advanced.

From the foregoing description of our invention, it is apparent that we have provided a mine car which is suitable for use in the thinner seams of coal to transport coal from the working face to the haulage entry, the operation of which is entirely controlled by the operator of the double drum hoist in the haulage entry. Assuming, for example, that the car is empty and it is desired to move the car to the working face, the'operator of the hoist, by proper manipulation thereof, applies a pulling force to the tow cable I. As the tow cable becomes taut, the draw bar t2 is rlrst moved forward until shoulders 59-58-59 engage the stop blocks i8, and the cross members Eil-84, which frees the draw bar section 6I, to which the cable l is connected, thus permitting the leading Wheels to follow the path of travel of the cable I9 into a position to be loaded. The trailing wheels are then locked against turning movement by the positioning of the other draw bar section tl between the rear stock blocks 19. After the car has been loaded, a signal is flashed and the operator of the hoist reverses the same and pulls the car out of the room into position to be unloaded. As the car is towed out of the room, the movement of the draw bar YGE releases the leading wheels for steering and locks the trailing wheels in fixed position. When the car has been hauled to the unloading station, the operator of the hoist connects the electrical outlet of the car to a suitable source of electrical power to energize the motor lll, and set the conveyors 38 in operation and convey the coal forwardly through the open end of the car, where it is discharged onto the haulage conveyor or other means employed in the mine for transporting the coal through the haulage entry. After the car has been unloaded, the operator of the hoist disconnects the car from the source of electrical power and the car is again hauled into the room for another load.

Since the draw bar is capable 0f sliding over the bottom of the car, it is apparent that the leading wheels are steerable when the car is moving in either direction, and that the trailing wheels are locked against movement.

In operation, a portable controller, having a power outlet,'should be installed at the working face so that power can be delivered to the motor 4l during the loading operation, so that the conveyors 36 may be operated to move the coal forward in the car during the loading operation, if desired, since it is apparent that intermittent operation of the conveyors will assist and facilitate the loading of the car.

While we have illustrated and described herein one embodiment of our invention, and have explained the operation thereof in connection with an underground coal mine, and particularly to the handling of loose coal therein, it will be apparent that the utility of the invention is not so limited, and that certain changes, additions, substitutions, modifications and subtractions may be made therein without departing from the spirit of our invention or the scope of the appended claims. What We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination in a mine car having a wheeled undercarriage of a draft bar slidably mounted on the bottom of said car, a draft bar section pivoted to each end of said draft bar, a linkage mechanism for connecting each pivoted draft bar section to the wheels at the respective end of the car, means connected to said draft bar sections for` pulling said car in either direction, and means associated with said draft bar sections for locking the draft bar section on the trailing Wheels in position against lateral movement.

2. A mine car for transporting coal in underground mine chambers having low head room, comprising in combination, a load carrying body, a pair of relatively wide wheels for supporting said body and mounted at each end thereof for turning about a vertical axis, a link arm connecting the wheels at each end of said body, a draw bar mounted for limited longitudinal movement underneath said body, a steering arm pivoted to each end of said draw bar for lateral swinging movement and extending across the link arm at the respective end of the car, a pin and slot connection between the steering arm at each end of the draw bar and its respective link arm, and means for locking one of said steering arms in xed position when said draw bar is moved to the limit of its position in one direction.

3. A mine car comprising a load carrying body, a pair of wheels supporting each end of said body, each of said wheels being mounted for turning movement about a vertical axis, a tie rod connecting the wheels at each end of said car, a draft bar mounted on the bottom of said body for sliding movement longitudinally thereof, a laterally swingable member on each end of said draft bar, one of said members being loosely connected to one of said tie rods and the other member being connected to the other of said tie rods, means 'for limiting the movement ofsaid draft bar in either direction, and means on said body adapted to engage and hold one of said laterally swinging members in fixed position when said draft bar is moved to the limit of its travel in one direction.

4. A mine car comprising a load carrying body, a pair of wheels for supporting each end of said body, each of said wheels being mounted for turning movement about a vertical axis, a tie rod connecting the wheels at each end of said car, a draft bar slidably mounted on the bottom of said body for limited longitudinal movement, a laterally swingable member on each end of said draft bar, one of said members being loosely connected to one of said tie rods and the other of said members being loosely connected to the other of said tie rods, and means for alternately locking said laterally swingable members in a fixed position as said draft bar moves back and forth on the bottom of said car.

5. A mine car comprising a load carrying body, a plurality of wheel carrying members mounted on said body for turning movement about a vertical axis, a wheel journaled in each of said members, a tie rod connecting the wheel carrying members at each end of said bar, a draft bar mounted underneath said body for limited sliding movement longitudinally thereof, a steering arm pivoted to each end of said draft bar, each of said steering arms having a pin and slot connection with one of said tie rods, and means for locking one of said steering arms in a xed position when said draft bar is moved to the limitation of its travel in one direction.

6. A mine car comprising a load carrying body, a pair of wheels supporting each end of said body, each of said wheels being mounted for turning movement about a vertical axis, a tie rod connecting the wheels at each end of said car, a draft bar slidably mounted on the bottom of said body for movement longitudinally thereof, a pair of spaced shoulders on said draft bar, a pair of spaced stops on said body, one for each of said shoulders, for limiting the movement of said draft bar in either direction, a laterally swingable member connected to each end of said draft bar, one of said members being loosely connected to one of said tie rods and the other being loosely connected to the other of said tie rods, and means on said body adapted to engage and hold one of said laterally swingable members in a xed position when one of said shoulders is in engagement with its respective stop.

JOHN D. RUSSELL. HENRY THIES. 

